Agenda and minutes

      The minutes of the meetings of Council held on 13 July 2016 and 14 September 2016, having been circulated, were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

The Mayor made the following announcements:-

·       He had attended the presentation of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise to LPW Technologies in Manor Park, Runcorn; the Company unveiled their plans for future manufacturing opportunities in the North West, which included substantial investment in the area and plans for new facilities and significant job creation in the Borough; and

·       He congratulated everyone involved with the successful Vintage Car Rally at Victoria Park, Widnes, with over 80,000 visitors attending the two day event.

The Leader made the following announcements:-

·       He congratulated LPW Technologies in Runcorn, on being presented with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise; and

·       He had attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the new Alstom Technology and Training Academy in Widnes, which would create hundreds of high quality jobs and training opportunities in the Borough.

The Council considered the minutes of the Executive Board meetings on 14 July 2016 and 15 September 2016.

RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

The Council considered the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on 6 July 2016.

RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

It was noted that no questions had been submitted under Standing Order No. 8.

The Council considered a report of the Chief Executive which outlined the final legal and governance requirements to establish the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Mayoral Model, with the devolved powers and functions agreed as part of the Devolution Deal in November 2015.

RESOLVED: That this Council

1)    notes the next steps required for the implementation of the Liverpool City Region Devolution Agreement;

2)    delegates authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, and members of the Executive Board, to agree the detailed terms of the Orders, and take all necessary steps required to implement the Liverpool City Region Devolution Agreement (attached at Appendix 2);

3)    in the event of any material changes being proposed in the Orders from that agreed in the Liverpool City Region Devolution Agreement (attached at Appendix 2), these matters shall be referred back to Council for further consideration by Council before any final Orders are agreed;

4)    note and reaffirm the governance principles, previously agreed by the Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in November 2015, (attached at Appendix 5), that will form the basis of the revised Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Constitution; and

5)    agree the scrutiny principles (as attached at Appendix 4), and note that these will be incorporated into the revised Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Constitution.

(N.B. Councillor M Lloyd Jones declared a Disclosable Other Interest in the following item as she was a Governor at St Edwards Catholic Primary School, Runcorn)

The Council considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, which sought approval to a number of revisions to the Council’s 2016/17 Capital Programme.

RESOLVED: That the revisions to the Council’s 2016/17 Capital Programme, as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report, be approved.

The Council considered a report of the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services, which sought approval to make a new set of byelaws to regulate the use and operation of the Mersey Gateway Bridge crossing, which included the liability for the payment of tolls to use the new bridge.

RESOLVED: That Council

1)    approve and make the byelaws in the form appended to the report at Appendices 1 and 2;

2)    confirm that the stakeholder engagement exercise carried out by Mersey Gateway Crossings Board in relation to the byelaws and described in paragraphs 3.4 to 3.5 inclusive, is sufficient and no further consultation is required;

3)    authorise the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services, to take all necessary steps under Article 40 of the 2011 Order (including publication of the notice of making), that must be carried out before the byelaws are submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport for confirmation; and

4)    if no objections to the byelaws are received within 28 days of the notice of  making being published, the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to submit the byelaws to the Secretary of State for Transport for confirmation; or

5)    if objections to the byelaws are received, direct that the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services, brings a further report to Council to consider the objections received.

(N.B. Councillor J Lowe and Councillor A Lowe declared a Disclosable Other Interest in minute ELS 17 – Employment, Learning and Skills and Community PPB – as their daughter in law was employed by an organisation in receipt of Area Forum funding)

The Council considered the reports of the following Boards in the period since the meeting of Council on 13 July 2016:-

·       Children, Young People and Families;

·       Employment, Learning and Skills and Community;

·       Health;

·       Safer;

·       Environment and Urban Renewal;

·       Corporate Services; and

·       Business Efficiency Board.

The Council considered the reports of the following Committees in the period since the meeting of Council on 13 July 2016:-

·       Development Control;

·       Regulatory; and

·       Appeals Panel.